Labor Day-Doubter

A quick skim through McGurn's article could easily discourage readers about a college education. However, upon closely analyzing the article's structure and its statements, it becomes clear that the piece is riddled with flaws. For example, McGurn is more than willing to provide supporting evidence for his claims. He mentions economist Lerman and Holzer to say that "there are jobs that don't require college but pay above the national average." However, when speaking about an opposing viewpoint, he quickly glosses over the subject by being vague. For instance, he admits that on average a college grad will have a greater income and more security but he conceals the effectiveness of that viewpoint by failing to provide data and statistics. This dismissal of evidence shows clear and intentional bias. Furthermore, McGurn states that college is not the only way to gain human capital and that there are other skills one can rely on to succeed (i.e. punctuality, reliability etc.). He makes the implicit assumption that college grads lack these skills when in reality they must possess or acquire these skills in the process of becoming successful students. Another assumption the writer makes is that money is the only measure of happiness when choosing a career. McGurn does this by glorifying the rise of an entrepreneur and his income. Based on personal experience, I know that McGurn is oversimplifying the life of an entrepreneur. My father has been the proprietor of various car mechanic shops and currently owns a dealership and junkyard. At first, one may marvel at such an accomplishment especially considering the fact that he gave up on educational endeavours in middle school. However, business fluctuates with the instability of our economy and being the owner of such a risky enterprise is a full-time job that sometimes chips away at family life and one's health. Thus, the trade-off of acquiring financial success without an education is living with insecurity and putting one's life at risk.